Little Church: Great Old Gold Painted Architectural Ball in Cage Whimsy with Cross folk art log cabin widely smiling cream lips

widely smiling cream lips

" by the French naturalist Pierre Denys de Montfort (1766-1820) with the plates drawn and engraved by the author himself

it  would make a terrific paperweight on a stylish desk or a subtle yet striking addition to a grouping of any manner of interesting objects

using the ruler and straight edge as guide then lifting/rolling it to avoid any smearing

This handmade piece is stamped "Peru"

Little Church: Great Old Gold Painted Architectural Ball in Cage Whimsy with Cross folk art log cabin widely smiling cream lipsI was excited to find this one in southern Maine this past week. I've had a few ball in cage whimsies carved in this sort of pitched "roof" manner, like a little house, but never one with a cross rising from the roof, making it a little church. And perfectly painted in a now nicely mellowed gold. Excellent. 5 5 16" t x 1 1 2" x 1 1 8". Excellent condition. Earlyish 20th century I believe.